Hector Martin

You know, I hope conferences continue to do the online thing from now on. Flying out to the other side of the world is a PITA, and the cost-benefit tends to tilt towards "nah" unless I really like the event. But sit at home in front of a camera? Sure, why not.

If you think about it, the whole "gather people in one physical space" thing is kind of... a relic of the past. It has its place, but it shouldn't be the expectation or default. We've all seen Snowden and similar special cases in the past. Make >50% of talks remote.

People *local from the area* can certainly gather around, but getting people from all over the world together is a huge energy, time, and effort investment... which often doesn't really make sense.

Also, don't forget online is more inclusive. Not everyone *can* physically travel due to medical, legal, logistical, or personal reasons.

Why does it have to be either or? Remote access to live events has been possible for a long time, COVID forced everyone to take it mainstream. I’ve been remotely jamming with musicians since march, and can see future hybrid rehearsals where some people are local and some remote